Multihyphenate to write, direct and star in Lionsgate comedy

Perry will play an affluent and successful entrepreneur who’s about to get married when he becomes enamored with a down-on-her-luck single mom.

Thesp will produce via his Tyler Perry Studios banner, along with Lionsgate.

Production is set to begin at the end of April in Atlanta.

Wayne Levin and Wendy Jaffe negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate, whose Robert Melnik will negotiate all additional cast deals.

Lionsgate recently extended its first-look pact with Perry for film and homevid for at least two more years, continuing a partnership that dates to 2005. Deal calls for Perry to deliver at least two more “Madea” movies, among other possible pics. Over the past six years, Perry’s 10 Lionsgate films have grossed more than $520 million at the North American box office in addition to selling more than 40 million units on DVD.

Perry next stars in “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” which he wrote, directed and produced. Lionsgate releases it April 22. He is set to play the title character in QED Intl.’s adaptation of James Patterson’s bestselling detective novel “I, Alex Cross.”